Revised Literal Translation
1 Timothy 3:16
16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
1 Timothy 3:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
- New International Version (NIV)Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Context of 1 Timothy 3:16
14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Read all of 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3:16 word by word
Καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον, ὃς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ.¶Read the interlinear
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- without controversyὁμολογουμένωςhomologoumenōs · undeniablyG3672
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the mysteryμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
- of godlinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- was manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- of angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- preachedκηρύσσωkērussō · to preachG2784
- the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- believed onπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- received upἀναλαμβάνωanalambanō · to take upG353
- gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:16
- Hebrews 7:7And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
- 1 Timothy 3:9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
- Matthew 13:11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
- Romans 16:25Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
- 1 Corinthians 2:7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
- Ephesians 1:9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
- Ephesians 3:3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
- Ephesians 6:19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
- Colossians 2:2That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
- Revelation 17:5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
- Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Jeremiah 23:5Behold, the days come, saith Yhwh, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
- Micah 5:2But thou, Beth–lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
- Matthew 1:23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16And, without controversy - ̔· And confessedly, by general consent, it is a thing which no man can or ought to dispute; any phrase of this kind expresses the meaning of the original. God was manifest in the flesh - If we take in the whole of the 14th, 15th, and 16th verses, we may make a consistent translation in the following manner, and the whole paragraph will stand thus: Hoping to see thee shortly; but should I tarry long, these things I now write unto…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And, without controversy - Undeniably, certainly. The object of the apostle is to say that the truth which he was about to state admitted of no dispute. Great is the mystery - On the meaning of the word “mystery,” see the notes on 1 Corinthians 2:7. The word means that which had been hidden or concealed. The meaning here is not that the proposition which he affirms was mysterious in the sense that it was unintelligible, or impossible to be understood; but…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-16Verses 14-16 The church is the house of God; he dwells there. The church holds forth the Scripture and the doctrine of Christ, as a pillar holds forth a proclamation. When a church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth should be first and greatest. The mystery of godliness is Christ. He is God, who was made flesh, and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man, by…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16This verse contains a short song or statement of belief that emphasizes the profound religious teaching of early Christian worship. the mystery of godliness: Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection reframes the story as an act of power, following his human life and death. The resurrection confirms his teachings (Romans 1:4). seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’s supreme rule in the realm of heaven…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. And--following up 1Ti 3:15: The pillar of the truth is the Church in which thou art required to minister; "AND (that thou mayest know how grand is that truth which the Church so upholds) confessedly (so the Greek for 'without controversy') great is the mystery of godliness: (namely), He who (so the oldest manuscripts and versions read for 'God') was manifested in (the) flesh (He who) was justified in the Spirit," &c. There is set before us the whole…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
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